Chapter 1943 - 1440: Recuperation (Part 2)

The Sect Leader sat cross-legged atop the ruins, watching as Li Zhixuan stepped toward him, one step at a time.

Although he had already mentally prepared himself for every outcome, at this moment, all of it vanished—only a hint of shock and awe remained.

"Do you have anything left to say?" Li Zhixuan asked coldly.

"There is a question that has troubled me for long. I wonder if you might answer me before I die?" The Sect Leader spoke with a look of curiosity.

"Go ahead, let’s hear it."

"How did you arrive in the Floating Light Realm? And why do you seek to exterminate the Immortal Tao?"

"By means of—"

Li Zhixuan had just begun to speak when her expression shifted drastically. Without hesitation, she slashed forth a blade of Sword Light.

Rumble—

A deafening explosion bloomed before her, as if intent on devouring her. Fortunately, she had slashed out that Sword Light, narrowly escaping disaster.

Though it would not have spelled her demise, it would certainly have left her battered—perhaps even wounded—thus slowing the conquest of the Floating Light Realm.

Li Zhixuan gazed at that Sect Leader, whose heart was dead to all hope. Rarely had she shown mercy, only to receive a lesson in return—one she would not soon forget.

This stoked a fiery anger within her chest. The Immortal Tao could now be declared vanquished; thus, her wrath could only be vented upon the Demon Cultivators or Devil Beasts!

Perhaps it was the downfall of the Immortal Tao that made them comprehend the terror of the Li family’s strength—the Demonic Tao and Devil Race finally joined forces to resist the Li family.

At that moment, the defensive fortress constructed jointly by the Demonic Tao and Devil Race had barely come into contact when Li Zhixuan raised her hand and slashed out a fierce arc of Sword Qi.

The Demon Cultivators and Devil Beasts were convinced that their fortress was impregnable, and if not impervious, certainly not so easily broken.

But they overlooked other variables—Li Zhixuan’s heart now seethed, plotted against by that Immortal Tao Sect Leader in his dying moments.

Thus, the defense in which they placed so much hope was utterly annihilated by her single strike.

"Impossible! How could this possibly be!"

They had long heard tell of Li Zhixuan’s might, yet never witnessed it, much less experienced it so intimately as now.

The razor-sharp Sword Qi, though it did not strike them, yet stung their very skin!

Some Demon Cultivators and Devil Beasts whose hearts were insufficiently tempered were so terrified their limbs lost all strength, collapsing to the ground where they stood.

Li Zhixuan, of course, showed no mercy. With a further swing of her sword, the native beings of this realm were cut down to the last.

Compared to the Immortal Tao, she felt even less restraint facing the Demonic Tao and Devil Race, and her methods were ever more unbridled.

Even with both sides now allied, her assault upon the Mountain Gate and destruction of their powers was scarcely any slower than before.

Indeed, if not for the need to consider her kin’s endurance, Li Zhixuan could have moved even faster!

But as the battles raged one after another, the Floating Light Realm—once vibrant and prosperous—was wholly derailed, its development shattered, war and Evil Qi became the dominant state.

The entire world now appeared shrouded in twilight; here and there flickered the glow of fire, with threads of blood-red hue.

Closer observation would reveal the first hints of decay and rot seeping into the Floating Light Realm!

In truth, when Li Zhixuan and the others made their moves, they had taken pains to avoid damaging the heavens and earth—not for fear of karmic repercussions, but lest the world’s origin be wounded, making it impossible to repay their debt to the Primal Spirit Realm upon offering sacrifice.

Yet even so, the loss of the world’s origin was unavoidable.

Not only was some harm inevitable in battle, but all living beings are crucial parts of the world itself. So much slaughter wrought upon life would have catastrophic effects on the world—how could it not?

As for the Floating Light Realm’s Heavenly Dao, it had long since suppressed the strength of Li Zhixuan and these Outer Realm creatures to its utmost. Many Loose Immortals among the Loose Cultivators, were it not for their numbers, would now be nearly useless in battle.

Meanwhile, away from the front lines, Li Zhirui keenly sensed a change spreading through heaven and earth.

When he pondered over the Laws, he found the world’s decline creeping in, ever so slow.

This prompted him to dispatch word to the front, seeking out Li Zhixuan and urging her to withdraw for now, to cease further action.

"Is this Jiu’s wish? Why would he order this?"

She was somewhat baffled; perhaps even she had yet to notice—after long periods of carnage, Evil Qi and killing intent had begun to cloud her mind, to stain her Spiritual Soul.

Fortunately, her Dao Heart was tenacious, tempered by Evil Qi and killing intent time and time again, granting her far more resilience—her reason and clarity still intact.

Though she did not fully grasp why Li Zhirui would forsake the advantage and order the kin to fall back, Li Zhixuan obeyed nonetheless.

She knew he would never harm her!

As for those Loose Cultivators? Without the presence of the Members of the Li Family, it was unlikely they dared act alone—perhaps even another wave of their exodus was upon them.

Li Zhixuan led her kin, weary and dust-laden, back to their base, and came before Li Zhirui, curiosity tinging her voice: "Jiu, has something happened to the clan? Why have you summoned us all back?"

Li Zhirui revealed his discovery: "If you wish to avoid severe injury to the world’s origin, it’s best to halt for now!"

The world’s power to repair itself is formidable. It is only because new ’wounds’ were constantly appearing that it could not recover.

"Furthermore, your state right now is far from normal as well!"

With this, Li Zhirui extended his Divine Sense, sweeping over the recently returned kin—his face instantly grew grave.

Not only her, but the other family members too had been affected by Evil Qi and killing intent. While not as deeply as she, differences in constitution made some situations more dire.

If this continued, they might suffer irreparable damage to mind and spirit—reduced to beasts of unending slaughter!

"In short, for the time being, all of you should rest and recuperate—do not fight any further."

With that, Li Zhirui formed hand seals; motes of white light manifested, sinking into the bodies of the family, expelling their Evil Qi and killing intent.

In truth, the Li family’s original intent was to conquer the Floating Light Realm over two thousand years. Yet now, not even a hundred years had passed, and the Immortal Dao Power was nigh wiped out.

This pace was already far beyond expectations.

Aside from the Li family’s plan to attract many Loose Cultivators, the major reason was Li Zhixuan herself: she spoke of patience, but her actions belied her words entirely.

...

The tale divides, flowers blossoming each upon their branch.

Now, Li Chengsheng and Li Chengshuo bartered their Divine Positions with Ziwei, gaining the Secret Technique of target-world traversal. After a period spent with study and insight, they finally prepared to act!

"Elder brother, if we mean to conquer an Outer World, will just us and our subordinate gods suffice? Shouldn’t we request aid from the clan?" Before beginning, Li Chengshuo suddenly realized a problem and asked at once.

Their subordinate gods were few, and even counting the Star Gods who’d pledged to them, the entire number was a little over one hundred.

Unless every single one were Earth Immortals or Heavenly Immortals, with so few, the notion of conquering an Outer Realm was sheer folly.

Li Chengsheng’s brow tightened. He had been so absorbed in decoding the Secret Technique, adapting it for his own use, that he’d never considered this issue.

Yet it must be admitted—this was dire, and demanded an urgent solution!

"The clan is attacking another Outer World; I fear they cannot spare many hands. Even if they do..." Li Chengsheng shook his head and left the thought unsaid.

Given how things stood between them and the Li family these years, even if there were no other affairs, at best for Li Zhirui’s sake they might reluctantly send a thousand or so kin.

Such scant manpower would not suffice—they must find another way.